The play The Miss Firecracker Contest by Beth Henly shown in SIUE’s Dunham Hall Theater and is directed by Peter Cocuzza, was it a hit or a miss? The play Miss Firecracker Contest is an interesting play about a girl who along with her family can never seem to find happiness in their lives. To remedy this the main character Carnelle enters a contest to attempt to become happier in her life. The question is was the production successful and entertaining. The setting of the play, how well the characters were played, and the effects of the play all contribute to the overall success of a play. The question is did this rendition of The Miss Firecracker Contest play satisfy its audience. The setting for the play was adequate but it did have
some minor flaws all the same. In the first act of the play the setting is a house belonging to a deceased widow around 1984. While the house does have many pictures denoting the extended family on the walls along with the desk, the couch, and the chair the room still seems very sparse of furniture and other knick-knacks. The set designer did do a good job in the fact that they used the staircase in the house from act one and used it as an elevated stage in the second act for Carnelle’s dressing area to save time and space. Also the ferris wheel in the second act seemed to rotate during small select time instead of a majority of the time making it seem unnecessary. Another problem with the ferris wheel is that it took up too much space for being so inactive and caused the firework effects to be pushed behind the tent causing one side of the audience to miss them. The casting of the characters seemed to be very well done save for a few casting errors. One of the good castings was that of the actor who portrayed Popeye, Carnelle’s seamstress. The actor who played Popeye did very well in showing that the character was shy, but the actor could also show how the character could be relatively outgoing in a humorous way. One of the errors in casting was the casting of the character Tessy the contest coordinator, who was supposed to be portrayed as a relatively ugly girl but the actor did not match that description. Another factor in the successfulness of a play is the special effects and how the audience was brought into the play. This was done fairly well throughout the play with a minor hiccough here and there. One effect done adequately was that whenever Popeye began to talk about Carnelle’s cousin Delmount the lighting would take on a pinkish hue to show how Popeye felt for Delmount. Additionally the audience’s response during the play can make all the difference to how successful the play becomes. During the performance the audience collectively laughed, winced, and felt sorry for the characters and in general connected with the characters. For instance during the scene where the characters Carnell, Elaine, and Popeye are all crying for various reasons throughout the audience slight aww’s and sounds of sympathy could be heard. All in all there are many factors that go into making a successful play but the setting, casting, and the special effects are some of the more important factors. With the overall adequate use of these factors this play seems to be one that while you wouldn’t want to go out of your way to see on a Saturday evening, it is one that you would be happy to see after a normal day of work to unwind.
Overall, I enjoyed this play. Even with the dull ending, I found it to be entertaining and a good use of my time. The cast was great and they made good use of a decent
...od out because he used charm and just the book to advance in the company. I think young adults and adults who are into economics, how companies work or even realistic plays would like the production that was put. It was simple and gave across a clear point. I think that people who grew up in the sixties and worked during the time period would enjoy the play. I feel that they would have a different understanding of it because they grew up in the time period and lived through what was going. Over all the play head a straight forward point that in my opinion put J. Pierrepont Finch as the protagonist because everything revolved around him, he had a simple objective and every set or choice he made effect something or someone. Whereas the antagonist was reaching high positions in the company because that was the main thing that was in Finch is way at achieving his goal.
The majestic ranges of western North America – the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada, the cascades, and the Coast Ranges – arose more recently.
Yesterday night I reviewed the play “The Miss Firecracker Contest” In Wilmington, North Carolina at Big Dawg Productions. The play started out as Carnell Scott, 24-year-old orphaned southern girl who lives in Brookhaven, Mississippi. She is tap dancing in her room with a purple leotard and some kitchen utensils used as creative batons practicing her routine for The Miss Firecracker Contest.
As a student of hers, I am confident in saying that she puts all of her hard work and efforts into her productions. Hard work pays off and thanks to her, the transitions between all scenes especially act two scene three to the finale were a great success. She did a extraordinary job casting the actors and hiring Abby Peterson Murrel as the choreographer. Abby did a fantastic job directing the “Waiters Gallup” there was so much movement and this song/scene that it is easy for it to become a jumbled mess, however she made clean, cut movements that is was a breeze to follow. Rudolph Reisenweber played by Garrett Johnson, the head chef of the overwhelming restaurant, was well placed. We see the first and second cook dressed in completely different outfits making appearances on either side of the stage while other waiters are dancing to songs in the middle. The choreography kept things interesting and the dances in a musical can make or break the performance. Overall, Cherie and Abby did amazing jobs directing each person to have a place among a crowded
Not knowing what this play was about, I went to go see it Wednesday after noon at Holyoke Community College in the Leslie Phillips Theater. I had many mixed emotions about this play. I thought some parts were very funny, but others were a little uncomfortable because of some racia...
The set of the play was built decent and looked the same. The only thing I didn't like was some of color of the stones that were painted on the walls. But, that’s just my opinion. However, I did have fun splatter painting those walls and the stairs during class. I liked how there was platforms and different ground levels, that made it more interesting. Rather than just having the stage ground there were stairs you could go up or down which set it apart. Overall, I liked the set and I thought it was built well and sturdy.
Tracy Letts’ Superior Donuts was a successful production by The College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance. Critical decisions made by director Sharon Gracis made this production of the play a triumph. This play would be more successful for an older audience, rather than college students. Therefore, I would not recommend it for people my age because it does not contain content that my generation finds
are meant to present a show at the fete. The play uses comedy as its
My mother went and viewed the performance of The Last Night of Ballyhoo the night before I did. She acquainted me with the meaning of Ballyhoo and the plot of the play. She stated that the play was well done and I would enjoy it. I don’t believe I have seen I better play this year. It was wonderfully put together and very funny and I’m not just saying that because the director is my theatre instructor. I wish I hadn’t seen the play on the last night of the performance, because I would have loved to see it again.
In conclusion I think that the stage directions and dramatic irony are significant to the play, and without them there would be no need for a lot of the events that happen in the play.
As in all genres, the musicals have had its share of failures. Some worthy dramas have been pressed into service and musicalized and sometimes butchered in the process, and audiences have had to watch a fine play diluted into a mediocre musical. But the successes have been many and spectacular and they have left a long lasting effect on the American art and culture.
Through December 5th through the 7th, I performed in Thornton Wilder’s play of Our Town. The only sets or props that the actors or actresses used where folding chairs for us to sit in, umbrellas to hide Emily (Julie Dumbler), and flats on both sides of the stage to hide the people behind them. The reason for the lack of set is so the audience can use there imagination of what the town of Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire looks like. All the rest of the props that the actors had to use were pan mimed and acted out to the fullest to make it look real. The only other experience with no set was with Miss Henery in Neodesha and it was a disaster so I didn’t know how well this was going to work out. But with the help of our director Peter Ellenstein and the rest of the cast, the pan miming was very successful. Our performance space was a modified thrust stage. The shape of the stage served us well for this play, but the back stage was horrible. All of the chairs that we had to use were folding chairs that made a lot of noise even if you hardly touched one. One neat thing about the play is that all of the sound affects were made by our backstage manager (Lisa Mitchell) or other members of the cast. In exception for the clock chiming at the end of the play. People who have seen the play tell me that it is a very heart moving play. I did not get that feeling because I was always backstage or onstage. Ether way I didn’t get to watch the play so I couldn’t see what was so moving about it. The only humor I got was from lines and the funniest person I heard was Professor Willard (Gary Mitchell). The audience is led through the entire play by the Stage Manager (Cory Venable). He literally talks to the audience between every scene explaining what is going on in the story. I thought Mr. Wilder did a good job in having a Stage Manager do this. The Stage Manager tells and shows us a story a young girl growing up and facing death, even after death. He show us how Emily Webb (Julie Dumbler) first gets to know her future husband George Gibbs (Eric Cole).
...the audience and parents that tragedy that could come to them. I think it is not only a lesson for teenagers, but a lesson for parents as well. Time, effort, and energy put into this play were definitely worthwhile, in my opinion. I believe all their practice, rehearsal, and hard work paid off.
Overall this production was very interesting and well performed. It was somewhat enjoyable to the audience, there were times of boringness but the comedy kept the play interesting. The director did a great job of putting everything together and as a result everything was on point. The only thing to say that would better the play is to make the play more interesting to the audience so that the audience does not get tired of watching.